Understanding the Constitution

May a Christian vote for Sarah Palin? Amazingly, some in the Christian community say “No!”, because…..she is a woman!

Male supremacist Christians (they prefer the prettified word, “complementarians”) point to Isaiah 3:12 in King James’ version of the Bible (KJV) and triumphantly crow that this proves that “women in positions of authority are the curse of God and shows we are under Judgment of God.” And, King James’ version of Isaiah 3:12 does say:

As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. [italics added]

Well, well! But we will analyze Isaiah 3:12 using Facts and Logic:

The renderings of Isaiah 3:12 in KJV (1611) and The Geneva Bible (1599) are similar; but KJV omits the Reformers’ Notes:

Because the wicked people were more addicted to their princes than to the commandments of God, he shows that he would give them such princes, by whom they would have no help, but they would be manifest tokens of his wrath, because they would be fools and effeminate. [spelling modernized & italics added]

Effeminate. The New Strong’s Concordance gives both ‘ishshah & nashiym as the Hebrew word translated “women” in the KJV of Isaiah 3:12; and says ‘ishshah is the feminine of ‘iysh, a man as a male person, or ‘enowsh, a mortal. Is this why the Reformers said, in their margin notes in The Geneva Bible, that Isaiah 3:12 referred to princes who were effeminate?

Now let us consider Strong’s tender of the Hebrew word, nashiym. The Old Testament was written in ancient Hebrew, a language which omitted vowels in writings. Thus, in translating words in ancient Hebrew, the question is always, “What vowel goes here?” To illustrate, look at the English word “p_t”. What vowel goes in the middle: a, e, i, o, or u? Do you see?

So! Look now at nashiym: Adam Clarke’s Commentary points out that only a vowel distinguishes “noshim” (usurers) from “nashim” (women), and thus Isaiah 3:12 might be rendered:

The collectors of grapes shall be their oppressors; and usurers (noshim, instead of nashim, women) shall rule over them….

So! What’s the correct vowel? “a”? Or is it “o”?

Well! Vowels were added to the Hebrew Scripture between the 6th to 10thcenturies A.D. by the Masoretes, who were Jewish scholars at the Talmudic academies in Babylonia and Palestine. (See: Encyclopaedia Britannica Micropaedia, 15th ed., Vol. VI, p. 671). They are the ones who inserted an “a” instead of an “o”! What criteria did the Masoretes use in deciding which vowelsto insert?Was their selection of “a” over “o” in n_shim guided by their hatred of women? WE DON’T KNOW! I expect male supremacists never gave this a thought. But the Masoretes’ vowel enriched version of the Hebrew Scripture was the basis of King James’ version of the Old Testament. And until the appearance in 1970 of the New English Bible’s completely new translation of the Old Testament (Oxford Univ. Press), the Masoretes’ version has dominated the field, most later English translations being mere revisions of the KJV.

Now look at the Hebrew word at Isaiah 3:12 which KJV translates as “children”: The Power Bible CD4.5 says `alal is the word (Strong’s #5953). However, `alal appears in 17 other verses in the Bible where it is rendered “wrought”, “glean”, “mock”, “abuse”, “defile”, “practice”, “done” or “affect”. Only in Isaiah 3:12 is `alal rendered “children”!Isn’t that odd. Was “children” chosen because it “fit” with “nashim”? (God’s Word To Women, by Dr. Katharine Bushnell, Lesson 77, paras 621& 622)

The New Strong’s Concordance handles it differently: Strong’s chose different Hebrew words for “children”: #5768, `owlel or `olal! So! Which is the “real” Hebrew word: `alal? `owlel? `olal? Change the vowels and can’t it be either? Other translators thought so:

The Peshitta (George M. Lamsa’s Translation) renders Isaiah 3:12:

The princes shall pluck my people out, and woman shall rule over them. O my people, your leaders have caused you to err, and disturbed the way of your paths.

The Vulgate (Douay translation) renders Isaiah 3:12:

As for my people, their oppressors have stripped them, and women have ruled over them. O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps.

The Septuagint was translated into Greek from the original Hebrew during the 3rd & 2ndcenturies B.C., 800 -1,300 years before the Masoretes inserted their selected vowels. (Encyclopaedia Britannica Micropaedia, 15th ed., Vol. IX, p. 63)

Do you see? And look at the context of Isaiah 3:12! In 3:14-15, God indicts the elders and officers – not “women and children” – who “ravaged the vineyard”, “grind the faces of the poor”, and steal their stuff!

The Bible gives various examples of women who served, with God’s blessing, as leaders. The Reformers’ Notes to Isaiah 3:12 in the Geneva Bible, Adam Clark’s Commentary, the Septuagint, and the REB’s rendering of Isaiah 3:12 are consistent with God’s actual practice of raising women as leaders.

But the Masoretes’ version of Isaiah 3:12 contains an unexplained selection by them of an “a” over an “o”. King James’ version, which is based on the Masoretes’ text instead of the much earlier Septuagint, perpetuates the unexplained selection.

King James’ version mistranslates Isaiah 3:12. Its rendering doesn’t fit the context of Isaiah Ch. 3; and it contradicts God’s actual practice, as revealed in many passages, of raising up women leaders. And remember: They mistranslated the word they rendered as, “children”, in order to make it “fit” their translation of n­_shim as “women”. Is that not a shocking thing?

The other passages on which male supremacists rely have been equally mistranslated and distorted by them; and their arguments on these other passages are as easily refuted. Why even a woman can do it!

About

Lawyer, philosopher & logician. Strict constructionist of the U.S. Constitution. Passionate about The Federalist Papers (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison & John Jay), restoring constitutional government, The Bible, the writings of Ayn Rand, & the following: There is no such thing as Jew & Greek, slave & freeman, male & female, black person & white person; for we are all one person in Christ Jesus.

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WARNING AGAINST A CON-CON a/k/a “constitutional convention” or “Article V convention” or “Convention of the States”: Do not be deceived by the people who are calling for a convention. Go here and read the warning of James Madison and former US Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger. Be sure to read “Twenty Questions About a Constitutional Convention”: http://www.eagleforum.org/topics/concon/

In these two articles, investigative journalist Kelleigh Nelson exposes the nefarious forces – on the phony “Right” – involved in the push for an Article V convention. The People you think are on your side are betraying you. http://www.newswithviews.com/Nelson/kelleigh136.htm

Dr. Edwin Vieirareminds us that the “necessary & proper” clause (Art. I, Sec. 8, last clause) vests in Congress the power to make all laws necessary & proper to execute its delegated powers. Since Article V delegates to CONGRESS the power to call the convention, Congress would be within its constitutional authority to organize the Convention anyway it wants, and to appoint whomsoever it wishes as delegates.http://www.newswithviews.com/Vieira/edwin262.htm

Do not be deceived by the “scholarly research” of former law professor, Rob Natelson. Natelson trumpets the crazy theory that alleged “customs” practiced in our “Founding Era” provide binding principles which govern conventions called under Article V of our Constitution! Here is JWK’s excellent expose’ of Natelson’s absurd theory:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3062146/posts

“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. they are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.”

“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron.”

H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920.

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“If the America People do not rise up and defend their Constitution and the intentions and beliefs under which it was adopted, who is left to do so but the very people who it was designed to control and regulate?” Johnwk

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“Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him, better take a closer look at the American Indian.” Attributed to Henry Ford.

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I saw a movie where only the military and the police had guns: Schindler’s List.

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“In religion and politics people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.” Autobiography of Mark Twain

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PERMISSION to re-post: You may re-post my papers on your own sites, provided you do not change the text, retain all the hyperlinks, and have a link back to my website. However, since I periodically revise my papers, the better practice is to post a para or so and have a “continue reading here” which links to my site. That way, your readers will have the most recently revised edition.

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Where do Rights come from? God? The Constitution? The supreme Court? Or the “government”? I’ll show you. It is important that you understand. (videos in two parts totaling 22 minutes)

I am delighted to learn of your intense & increasing interest in learning the original intent of Our Constitution! Please feel free to browse around to your hearts’ content.

Also, if any of you have questions as to the original intent of any provision or provisions of Our Constitution, please feel free to post your questions.

To learn Our Constitution, you will need to get a copy of The Federalist Papers; and for word definitions, Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the American Language. You can find The Federalist Papers on line; and here is an online copy of Webster’s 1828 Dictionary: http://webstersdictionary1828.com/

As I trust you know, word meaning are like the clouds: meanings change as time passes. So, naturally, we want to focus on the meanings enjoyed by Words during the Era of our Founding.

OK! Here is your homework assignment: Get a hard copy of The Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. Read them cover to cover. Using different colored pencils, highlight (1) the powers of Congress, (2) the powers of the Executive Branch, and (3) the powers of the judicial branch.

With a 4th color, highlight all references to God in both Documents!

Please pay particular attention to what the Declaration says about the SOURCE of our Rights. Mark that with a 5th color.

Surprising, isn’t it?

I will look for a good source from which you can buy pocket copies of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution so that you can buy lots and distribute them to your co-workers, family and friends.

Again, do not be shy about posting your questions! I am just a little old lady, and do not bite.

Kindest regards, Publius Huldah.

Publius Huldah explains when Nullification of unconstitutional acts of the Legislative, Executive, or Judicial Branches of the federal government is required by Article VI, clause 3, U.S. Constitution.